Mr Blunkett said: “The whole point of the minimum five-year sentence for
firearms was to deter people from illegally carrying a gun in public. These
figures are extremely worrying as they diminish the deterrent.

“This is a clear example of judges resisting Parliament’s demand for tough
sentences.”

Senior Tory MP Douglas Carswell said: “These figures are further evidence that
the judges are a law unto themselves.

“If we are to improve faith in the justice system we need to find a way to
hold judges to account.”